Because in the toothpaste aisle of the Internet, what makes you different is more important than what might make you better.

Just make sure you know what it actually is that makes you different, and toast loudly enough for your audience to hear you …

What makes a podcast better than better?

The first key to creating a podcast that stands out — that makes people want to listen — is having a firm understanding of what is already “standing in,” what people are already listening to.

That means doing your homework, because the only way to carve out a unique positioning for your show without having a deep understanding of your market and your niche is luck … and luck is not a strategy.

So do your homework.

And keep in mind that there are many ways to differentiate a podcast …

Your angle can make you different
Most podcasts about entrepreneurship focus on tactics; Hack the Entrepreneur focuses on mindset and delivers one mindset hack, every episode, for each entrepreneur profiled.

Your schedule can make you different
Most podcasts about Indiana basketball are interview/discussion shows posted during downtimes in the team’s schedule; The Assembly Call is broadcast live during the busiest time on the team’s schedule, immediately after each game ends, then posted as a podcast soon after the live show is over.

Your reputation can make you different
Plenty of podcasts deal with strategies for solopreneurs, freelancers, and startups; Unemployable features Brian Clark’s strategies for solopreneurs, freelancers, and startups.

Your artwork can make you different
A lot of show art on iTunes for podcasts about podcasting looks similar — a lot of whites, blues, greens, and oranges; The Showrunner stands out with its bright red background and strong, stylish name that is suggestive of the show’s bigger, bolder vision for podcasters.

Your name and Big Idea can make you different
Self-help podcasts are a dime a dozen. Only one show views self-help through the prism of balancing pride and humility while employing a brand new word — Primility — to describe itself.

Your format can make you different
Most history podcasts follow a discussion format or are highly produced narratives. Hardcore History is just one man, Dan Carlin, talking for hours on end, by himself, about specific historical events, all the while keeping you captivated with his remarkable knowledge and ability to tell stories.

After a certain point, even your longevity can make you different
Many podcasts are around for a while, then fade away; Keith and the Girl is on episode 2,217, and that single fact alone was enough to drive the curiosity that got me to listen to the show for the first time this week.

Every single one of the shows mentioned above is succeeding to some degree. Yet every single one of the shows above is competing in a crowded content marketplace and a competitive niche.

So how are they succeeding?

These shows are irreplaceable

No one else offers what they offer.

These shows aren’t boxes of toothpaste sitting on a shelf. They are meeting their audiences in the aisle, glass of Champagne in hand, proud of what makes them different — and they’re receiving attention because of it.

Now, it’s up to each of these showrunners to ensure that the audience’s attention is met with useful content that is delivered reliably over time, which will then build an authentic connection that ultimately drives whatever the personal or business goal of the show may be.

But that opportunity is never granted in the first place without the U.S.P. — the unique show positioning — that attracted the initial attention, and then made the show irreplaceable by being different.

Because you won’t ever be truly remarkable if you’re just like everyone else.

And if you can be replaced, you will be.

So …

What makes your show different?

I’m asking you, seriously, right now: What makes your show different?

Before you spend another second of time making your show better, be sure you can articulate exactly how it is different.

That’s how you get off the shelf and into the hearts and minds of your audience.

Do it now: Write out your show’s U.S.P., or type it, or state it out loud. Whatever. But define it and embrace it.

Then let’s toast, proudly.

To the differences that will help us build our audiences.

To the differences that will make our shows better than better, irreplaceable, remarkable.

What’s next?

Once you understand what differentiates your show, you have a foundation upon which you can build something remarkable.

In our free content series, The 4 Essential Elements of a Remarkable Podcast, we walk you through how to take the next steps to position yourself and your show for success in the long-term.

Go to showrunner.fm, join our email list, and The 4 Essential Elements of a Remarkable Podcast will be dripped out to you, for free, over the course of a week.